News Broadcasting
Universal, Webtv tune into mobile music
MUMBAI: Universal Music UK has signed a deal with Webtv Europe. This will enable the secure distribution of Universal’s music and video portfolio to mobile phones and hand-held devices.
The deal follows the successful completion of a series of tests by Universal Music UK on the Digital Rights Management software supplied by Webtv Europe. This will protect artistes against copyright infringement and fraud.
Universal Music UK claims to have a 26 per cent share of the UK music sector. Its artistes include the legendary Irish rock group U2, Keane, Scissor Sisters and Daniel Bedingfield. It has over 300,000 digitised tracks. The significance of the deal can be gauged from the fact that there are now over 38 million mobile phones in the UK that are capable of accepting multimedia downloads.
Webtv Europe announced the deal at the telecommunications industry’s trade fair, World Telemedia, which opened in Amsterdam this week. A company release adds that yesterday World Telemedia witnessed the ‘world’s first collective download’ of quality videoclips
Universal Music UK new media group director Rob Wells added, “Establishing a secure and efficient route to market for digital entertainment is vital to the future development of our industry. Webtv Europe has succeeded in putting together a business model that meets our requirements for both security and efficiency. This is great news for both our customers and for our artists.”
Webtv Europe also confirmed that network operators One World Interactive which provides access and billing solutions for interactive content, and Opera Telecom will be the first distributors for the service. The list of other providers will be announced shortly.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
